TIDS - Frequently Asked Questions

The Travel Industry Designator Service (TIDS) is an IATA program which provides a unique identification code for travel agents and sales intermediaries such as meeting planners, event organizers who
are not currently IATA-Accredited Agents and
are located outside of the USA. This unique Industry Code ensures proper identification of the agent and their bookings in electronic reservation systems worldwide with a standard numeric code.

TIDS in general

For Travel and Tourism Industry Suppliers, TIDS speeds up and simplifies reservations processing because it identifies you as the booking source from the very first reservation. The unique TIDS identification allocated to an agency reduces the risk of duplication of reservation numbers, avoids the consequences of invalid or rejected bookings and secures any commercial arrangements with industry suppliers.

The Travel Industry Designator Service can only be allocated to a non-IATA Accredited Agent. You have, nevertheless, two options: you can open a TIDS as a standalone head office, or request a branch code in the passenger agency program through our Customer Portal.

A new TIDS Code is valid until the end of that same calendar year (i.e. until 31 December). The registration fee for a TIDS Code includes the first year annual fee. TIDS Codes are renewable each year and subject to payment of an annual fee. You will receive an invoice to renew your TIDS Code in October, payable by December, for the next calendar year (01 January – 31 December). If you do not renew your TIDS Code, the code will be terminated in the following January, you will be advised and all industry systems will then cancel your code.

Eligibility

Yes! If you are a sales intermediary providing any travel or tourism related services such as organising conferences and/or events on behalf of third-party customers, you would be eligible to apply for a TIDS Code.

You would still be eligible for a TIDS Code if you are not a member of the national agents’ association. Instead, you will need to provide letters of recommendation required from industry supplier as follows:

1 from an IATA Member Airline OR

1 from a Global Distribution System (GDS) i.e. Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan OR

Approximately 10 days after allocation of your TIDS Code, its validity can be checked 24/7 on IATA
CheckACode site. A new TIDS Code holder should allow approximately one month for the new code information to be distributed by electronic data file to all IATA Agency Data Subscribers worldwide. The information then has to be uploaded into industry suppliers’ internal systems, and it is normally at this point that your TIDS Code is recognised. It is at the industry supplier’s discretion to recognise your new code before it appears in their system.

Government-issued license for travel agents (where applicable) or a copy of business registration including tax registration/other business registration number. Please note: - Applicants in Canada, located in QC, ON, and BC, must provide a copy of the provincial travel agency license (all other provinces, please provide a copy of business registration as stated above) - Applicants in Turkey must provide a copy of the license issued by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism & Culture

Documentation supporting legal form of business and ownership of the entity

Bank letter stating that you maintain a bank account in the name of the business

National Travel Agent Association proof of membership such as confirmation letter from the association

If you are not a member of the National Travel Agent Association, then please provide:

One (1) letter of recommendation from an IATA Airline or Global Distribution System (GDS) i.e. Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre or Worldspan or two (2) letters of recommendation form major Travel Industry suppliers. Letters of recommendation must be on letterhead of the company who is recommending

As a TIDS Code holder, you are not authorised to use the IATA logo as the TIDS is not an IATA endorsement or Accreditation. The terms and conditions of the TIDS Programme (which are part of the Application Form and accepted by the agent/sales intermediary upon signature) clearly state that you may not use the IATA logo.